This invention relates to an apparatus and method for separating gases and in particular an apparatus comprising inorganic membranes for removing acidic gases from natural gas.
Natural gas reserves known to contain a relatively high content of nitrogen, carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulphide are rarely recovered due to the costs incurred to purify the gas mixture.
Impure methane is also commonly produced by landfill sites but its commercial exploitation is generally prohibited by the costs associated with purifying it.
Current processing systems are generally regarded to be uneconomical above 1.5% levels of carbon dioxide. To remove carbon dioxide from natural gas, chemical scrubs are commonly used. This results in a significant amount of waste product which must be suitably disposed of, adding further costs to remove the carbon dioxide.
Moreover, the mechanical equipment used with such chemical scrubs is susceptible to failure.